I don't know anyone, 'getting rich' from horses, at the moment. If most of us added up the money we have spent on horses and the amount we have gained form selling foals, it might be a huge disappointment.

Horse breeding at best, is a hobby and for those who can afford it.

Why to you think, after four generations of horse ownership and breeding, I will sadly, not see a fifth? Horses cost. Horse keeping and breeding is expensive. The majority of foals these days if sold, do not cover the cost of the breeding.

Certainly, there will be the irresponsible, who still breed anything to whatever is handy. They will only be adding to the enormous numbers of unwanted horses. Most of the time, they will be adding to the thousands slaughtered each month.

I'm sick of hearing those who say, they will be keeping the foal for ever. Nobody can foretell that. Things change. Life changes. So the best we can do, if we do indeed decide to breed, is to make sure that foal is of quality, background and pedigree, to be wanted by others in the future.

Lizzie

I wish I could like this a hundred times. So many truths in here.

I bought a mare in foal in september, so excited for that baby. She passed every ultrasound, had every shot, proper nutrition.... EVERYTHING was done right. At ten months, she delivered a still born. I was devasted. On top of that, she got an infection amd Im not sure that she will be breeding sound again. Now I have a lost baby and a mare that may never foal again.

I've been one to say that I will keep horses forever. I currently have four of them for sale because it's just expensive. And I make about $4500/month. Life changes, and with it, you. Decisions you make now may never last forever.

The commitment is HUGE, and you have to be ready for everh downfall that can come your way, because sooner or later, they will.

Thank you for telling me that my horse is brown tobiano I nevver new that browns could have what she has of black. As you could probably tell im "new" also if you read my earlier coment we go in a local pinto show or paint show once a month. I do not work her everyday and I am aware of arthritis and such. I do not do well in shows nore do I expect to with her being only 3. The only reason she has a show record is because we show up and enter classes for experiance. She does love going fast as I have been working on slowing her down since I forst backed her. I am 15 and pay for everything my parents have no say in my horse as I have 3 jobs to pay for her. I don't think anyone was paying attention to when I said im thinking about this for the FUTURE as in when I and my horse are much older. I only posted this thread because I wanted to learn more about colour in foals as everytime my coach breeds she gets amazing colour in her horses (also amazing attitudes). I'd also like to say that I will never try to make money off horses because I know the risks and the expenses im hoping to get into a teaching eduaction like physics.

Breeding, temperment and confirmation first! What is she contributing to make sure the breed improves? Then look for a stallion that compliments her and her him. Are you looking to sell or keep? If selling, make sure you have a sound contract and no offense intended but I wish I looked as young as you do (if that is you in the picture ) but you have to be of a legal age to authenticate a contract so you may have to wait awhile. In the mean time, keep working on her show record and having fun!

I cringe whenever I see someone talking about breeding their horse nowadays.

Partly because I was one of the people sharing the photos and story of the 20 foals that were being given away at the Linwood KS auction last month, the majority of them pulled off their mothers. I think one was maybe 3 weeks old.

Someone else has posted asking for help on my FB page for 10 yearlings that were abandoned at an auction because they KB didn't want them, and no one would bid on them. That was today.

The youngest foals? Several of them were registered too. Must have been chaos with the mares calling to their foals in desperation as they were herded on the slaughter trucks, while the foals were frantically trying to get to their mamas.

And always fun to see the pregnant mares loaded onto those trucks too.

In this day and time? No one should even think about putting a foal on the ground that hasn't got a superior mare to breed to a superior stallion. And that means ones that have a strong show record, on both sides.

Right this minute? I could probably lay my hands on at least 10 horses, of various ages, breeds and sexes, from free to 500 dollars, and several of them are registered too. AND what do they all have in common? All but one of them should have never been bred.

The only one that might have been worth something? Injured fetlock at 2, not lame, but has left it enlarged, he is WP bred, and a nice fellow. Just no one wants him. Pretty blue roan too. 500 dollars, and no one wants him.

I work for a WP barn, and last year we had mare reject her foal. Each bucket of Mare's Match costs almost 70 dollars, and lasts maybe a week. Times that 12 weeks? Pretty costly. And had to drive to get it.

There are nice horses, from suckling to aged, being killed every day, or starving to death in someone's yard, or being abandoned, those horses need a home.

Even though you are saying this is in future? The future doesn't look much more promising than the present does for horse people. And darn sure not for the horses, if slaughter plants open up here in US.

When you get in market for another horse? Find one already on ground, so you will know what you are getting, and spare yourself the wait, and the expense too.

Anyone that would pull foals off their dams that young and dump them or the yearlings has no business breeding anyway.

Those stories are indeed sad but I find them not to be the norm.
To suggest that if all breeder just stopped things would improve is without merit.
If you cannot afford to keep the foal until you can find a buyer then you have no business breeding. Anything.
Breeding isn't the only issue with the price of horses .
People continually selling and trading horses to get a more advanced or better one is resonable.
It also places the horse at risk for greater injury and decreased value as it ages.
Horse are expensive to maintain and require years of commitment.
Most people are not prepared to keep something that expensive that long.
All horses have value.
Some for breeding some for showing and yes some for slaughter.
Breeders by themselves are not the problem. Shalom

In this day and time? No one should even think about putting a foal on the ground that hasn't got a superior mare to breed to a superior stallion. And that means ones that have a strong show record, on both sides.

As I said... they don't HAVE TO have a show record to be superior. Genetics are important as well as show records, the guy I worked for holds a HUGE amount of importance on genetics and actually the majority of his mares (TOP QUALITY breeding and all) have never seen the inside of a show ring. I think many of them have never even left his property. They're all top warmblood mares, with bloodlines that are unmatched, and most with full or half siblings (and progeny) out there showing what the bloodlines can do... but none of these mares themselves have actually ever shown.

The stallions, on the other hand, are his personal competition mounts, and are all similarly spectacularly well bred. The young stallion is very nearly at FEI level (I think he's about 5 or 6) and the older boys are all Grand Prix dressage horses.

The get can be truly spectacular, or "just a horse", or anywhere in between, even with such amazing genetics. Even had the mares been shown, for great success (as I'm sure they all would have, he has a very strict minimum for quality in his breeding animals), that wouldn't be any different.

HOWEVER, in the time I was there I did not see a mediocre foal. THAT is where the spectacular genetics come into play.

I too do not believe that a horse must prove itself to be worthy of breeding.
Conformation and temperament are the most important things to consider IMO.
They can have several world championships but until you breed them you won't now their real value as broodstock. Shalom

Just because a mare has good conformation and temperment and is bred to a quality stallion doesn't mean the foal will be the same. I've never personally bred horses, but in that way it is similar to dogs, which I do have experience with breeding. Your best bet is to breed healthy, well conformed dogs with good temperments coming from long lines of dogs that are similar to what you're looking for. It is the same with horses.

You still have variables coming from proven lines, but you're a lot more likely to get what you want if you know that that's how your horse's siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents ect all were.

Also, you're 15, anytime in the next several years might be fine for your horse if she's breeding quality, but life changes so much from 15 to 25 for most people.

Just be really careful about any decisions you make because life gets in the way. Your interests might change a few times in the next several years and that's ok! You just want to make sure you have the freedom to be able to change plans.

For instance I'm 20, I never planned on leaving my home town. Ever. Now I'm planning on leaving the state for college. Then in a couple years leaving the country. There are things tying me down to my hometown... and it's a lot harder to figure out how to deal with those things than it would have been to plan for it in the first place.

Just because a mare has good conformation and temperment and is bred to a quality stallion doesn't mean the foal will be the same. I've never personally bred horses, but in that way it is similar to dogs, which I do have experience with breeding. Your best bet is to breed healthy, well conformed dogs with good temperments coming from long lines of dogs that are similar to what you're looking for. It is the same with horses.

And don't forget the cost of health testing... OFA, eyes, heart, and more if you're talking about dogs, other things, I'm sure, if horses. The price really adds up.

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